This 60-hour sequence of courses is designed to fulfill the general requirements of the first two years of study for a four-year degree. Of the courses listed below, 46 hours are required, but students may choose 14 additional hours from the same list as electives to complete the 60 hours required for the degree. Students wishing to transfer should ask for a transfer guide from the college where they plan to pursue their baccalaureate. Students may earn certificates and degrees from more than one program in an academic year, but only the highest certificate or degree in any program will be awarded.

English/CommunicationsNine hours from the following:

ENGL 1113 Composition I (“C” or better)

ENGL 1123 Composition II

SPCH 1113 Principles of Speech

MathematicsThree hours from the following:

MATH 1023 College Algebra

MATH 1033 Plane Trigonometry

MATH 2015 Calculus I

Social Science –Minimum of fifteen hours total*

History (six credit minimum) **

HIST 1003 History of Civilization to 1700

HIST 1013 History of Civilization since 1700

HIST 2013 History of the United States to 1876

HIST 2023 History of the United States since 1876

Social Science (minimum of six hours in two different fields)

ECON 2003 Macroeconomic Principles

GEOG 2003 Introduction to Geography

PSCI 2003 American Government: National

PSYC 2003 General Psychology

SOC 2003 Introduction to Sociology

Natural Science-Eight hours total

Biological Science-Four hours from the following:

BIOL 1004/L Fundamentals of Biology/Lab

BIOL 1024/LZoology/Lab

BIOL 1034/LGeneral Botany/Lab

BIOL 2064/L Anatomy & Physiology I with Lab

BIOL 2074/L Anatomy & Physiology II with Lab

Physical Science-Four hours from the following:

CHEM1024/LChemistry I for Science Majors/L

GEOL 1004/LPhysical Geology

GEOL 1014/LHistorical Geology

PHYS 2024/LThe Physical Sciences/Lab

Fine Arts and Humanities-Nine total;must include three hours of World Literature:

The Certificate of General Studies is designed to recognize the completion of a general education core of 34 credits. This program allows students to earn an award after approximately one year of college education. The program is transferable to four year colleges in Arkansas and should have good transferability to colleges in other states. Students should always contact the university to which they wish to transfer for more information.

English/CommunicationsNine hours from the following:

ENGL 1113 Composition I (“C” or better)

ENGL 1123 Composition II

SPCH 1113 Principles of Speech

MathematicsThree hours from the following:

MATH 1023 College Algebra

Social ScienceTotal of nine hours from the following:U.S. History or American Government-Three hours taken from the following:

HIST 1003 History of Civilization to 1700

HIST 1013 History of Civilization since 1700

HIST 2013 History of the United States to 1876

HIST 2023 History of the United States since 1876

PSCI 2003 American Government: National

Social Science Courses-Ssix hours from the following:

PSYC 2003 General Psychology

SOC 2003 Introduction to Sociology

ECON 2003 Macroeconomic Principles

GEOG 2003 Introduction to Geography

Natural ScienceTotal of four to eight hours from the following (with lab):

General Education

SouthArk offers a variety of degree and certificate programs via its Liberal Arts Division, with general education at its core. The vast majority of the coursework is fully transferable to four-year colleges for students who decide to pursue a bachelor's degree. SouthArk's associate of arts degree provides a foundation for any career that requires a four-year degree, but it also looks good on the resume as a stand-alone credential for almost any kind of job search. It tells employers that the applicant has a solid background in math, science, English, history, the social sciences, and the humanities for a well-rounded understanding of the world and how to function in the workplace.

Technical Certificate - General Studies

The Certificate of General Studies is designed to recognize the completion of a general education core of 34 credits. This program allows students to earn an award after approximately one year of college education. The program is transferable to four year colleges in Arkansas and should have good transferability to colleges in other states. Students should always contact the university to which they wish to transfer for more information.

English/CommunicationsNine hours from the following:

ENGL 1113 Composition I (“C” or better)

ENGL 1123 Composition II

SPCH 1113 Principles of Speech

MathematicsThree hours from the following:

MATH 1023 College Algebra

Social ScienceTotal of nine hours from the following:U.S. History or American Government-Three hours taken from the following:

HIST 1003 History of Civilization to 1700

HIST 1013 History of Civilization since 1700

HIST 2013 History of the United States to 1876

HIST 2023 History of the United States since 1876

PSCI 2003 American Government: National

Social Science Courses-Ssix hours from the following:

PSYC 2003 General Psychology

SOC 2003 Introduction to Sociology

ECON 2003 Macroeconomic Principles

GEOG 2003 Introduction to Geography

Natural ScienceTotal of four to eight hours from the following (with lab):Biological Science

Associate of Arts - General Transfer

This 60-hour sequence of courses is designed to fulfill the general requirements of the first two years of study for a four-year degree. Of the courses listed below, 46 hours are required, but students may choose 14 additional hours from the same list as electives to complete the 60 hours required for the degree. Students wishing to transfer should ask for a transfer guide from the college where they plan to pursue their baccalaureate. Students may earn certificates and degrees from more than one program in an academic year, but only the highest certificate or degree in any program will be awarded.

Dean of Liberal Arts

Phil Ballard graduated from Hope High School in 1968 and attended college at Henderson State where he earned his bachelor's degree in English in 1972. He did his practice teaching at Prescott High School and then taught for three years at Cross County High School in northeast Arkansas. To help him with his volunteer church work, he went to graduate school in Ft. Worth, Texas, where he earned a master's degree in religious education at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

After graduating in 1977, he taught in the secondary schools of Hempstead County for seven years and was active in the Arkansas Education Association, its local affiliate, and the Arkansas Council of Teachers of English. As a consultant-evaluator, he also did site visits for the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

In 1985, he went back to graduate school to work on a master's degree in the college teaching of English at what was then called East Texas State University. While there, he tutored in the writing center and taught courses in composition and literature. Upon graduating in 1987, he accepted a full-time teaching post at what was then Southern Arkansas University - El Dorado Branch and that was later renamed South Arkansas Community College when it merged in 1992 with Oil Belt Technical College.

During his years at SouthArk, he has taught courses in literature, English composition, and public speaking. He also served as division chair for humanities and social sciences for nine years from 1992 through 2001, served as interim vice president for academic affairs for eight months in 1998-99, coordinated the 1995-96 self-study for reaccreditation, and started the Writers’ Ink creative writing contest and literary magazine for Union County high school students. He also proposed and wrote the writers’ guidelines for the college’s literary magazine for adults, Between the Lines, and served as managing editor or associate editor from 1999 through the present. He also helped start the South Arkansas Historical Journal and serves on its board of editors. In addition to his administrative work, he chairs the SouthArk Lecture Series Committee.